I really enjoyed reading some of the humor on your webpage.

I am a musician and writer (poetry mostly) living in New Hampshire.

I very much agreed with your comments on whether or not the writing comes naturally or not to someone. It SHOULD flow and naturally- the word smithing can always be worked out later, but the content is either there or it isnt.

I am having a tough time trying to decide whether or not to self publish a story or to sell the idea to a writer….

Do you have some experiences that may help me make a decision?

Very Sincerely-

Nicholas

Friends are often telling me how they love how I am able to think outside of the box! AND on top of that, I knew there had to be a reason why I spaced the arrival of my kids out as I did… to avoid the 9 to5 thing for a whole 16 years (yea, baby!).

When I was taking my basic college courses I avoided taking English 101 like the plague. I didn't think I could do it. The thought that putting words on paper was beyond my comfort zone. However, I must say, once I gave it a go, I did kick-butt in that class.

Fast forward to the present. I have a genuine interest in writing and would love to get paid for my efforts someday; though I think I'm at the, "a writer… me?" stage. I think your blog helped me put it all together. I think I was just waiting for that cosmic force (you know the one, the little kick in the hiney God gives you when he wants to get you to do something). I THINK… I should just shut up and do it, then. THANKS for the kick!

"Either that or wishful thinking." NO YOU DIDN'T!!!

“Hi, John!” he wrote. ”You know, I’ve been thinking. I need you. I want to have your baby.”

No, wait, wait. Sorry. That wasn’t Sam. That was Anita.

If nothing else was to attest to your great skill at creative writing, this would stand alone as a priori evidence. Either that or wishful thinking.

On a serious note, not to suggest the above wasn't, I always enjoy and learn from your writing on writing. I printed out the series on writing you did a couple months ago and have referred to it several times. The rest of the time it resides on a table in a gold-leaf frame surrounded by glowing candles and sweet-smelling incense.

(That sounds cool!) I would answer you specifically but would have to charge you both my consultants fee of $60 an hour.

Please pay in small bills and don't expect a receipt.

Otherwise, just for fun and if I really had it in for you, I'd say try one of those sites that pay for content – 10 cents a word (after editing, of course). This could lead to really, really messy writing, no byline (needed for clips) and many prepositions the likes of which many editors will not put.

Professionally, I think those sites are a scam.

If you know even a little how to market yourself and get a real writing gig you're better off trying to find a trade magazine. There's a paying gig out there for just about anything or anyone you can think of to write about.

For the bits and pieces, work them up into a fictional short story. Those gigs are all over too (again, beware scams and vanity publishers).

My first paid non-fiction story was about an artist who paints undersea murals on the bottoms of pools. I sold it to "Swimming Pool and Spa Dealer News" and was promptly promoted to "contributing editor."

Sell your story at one of the thousands of trades like that listed in Writer's Market, on craigslist (under writing gigs but beware of scams) and even posted on college newspaper bulletin boards – where I found out about that first writing gig. College students are always desperate for clips and easily taken advantage of.

I never was able to follow up with equally interesting ideas and was soon dropped from the masthead, hence my question to John and appreciation of his answer.

By intuition I'd stumbled upon his last advice – "The other Truly Excellent Way to find as many great stories as you can possibly write is to go out into the world secure in the knowledge that people are absolutely fascinating."

The world's strongest man, people on the street, a mural painter whose canvas is swimming pools, esteemed writer, humorist and educator John Shore – they're out there waiting for you to call or drop by for an interview.

-Sam